Water heaters



A. L. BUEHL.

WATER HEATERS Nov. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March '7, 1961 INV ENTOR. @RA/@L0 A. ufHL NOV. 12, 1963 A, BUEHL 3,110,302

WATER HEATERS Filed March 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7777@ a@ Wang/W? H'TRNEYJ United States Patent O tor-Flo This invention relates to water heaters and more particularly to an improved base lfor supporting a water heater tank and casing and for mounting a combustion type heater burner thereto.

An important objective `of this invention is to provide a water heater base which comprises mounting means for the heater burner and so directs and influences the incoming air to the burner as to produce a uniform, concentric ame pattern.

It is also an object of this invention to provide such a base the design of which is readily adaptable to various size water heaters.

A still further object Iof this invention is to provide a base having the above characterisu'cs which is formed from a single piece of sheet metal thereby effecting considerable savings in time, material, and general cost of manufacture.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a base of the above type which is extremely strong and durable and highly ehcient in use.

Other objects and advantages of Ithe heater base of this invention will be readily appreciated from the following specilication and the accompanying drawings, in which said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical lsection of a water heater having a base of a type embodying the subject of the present application;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of the lower portion of the water heater of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a top plan View of the heater base of FIG-S. l and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in all :of which like parts are designated by like reference characters, and referring more particularly to FlG. l, at .1d there is generally shown a water heater of a type commonly used in the modern home. The water heater 1G comprises a circular base 11 having a plurality of legs 12 and adapted to support an insulated, underred water tank 16 which is seated upon a drumlike :supporting member 13a.

The tank 13 -is cylindrical in section and is provided with a central ilue 14 having a llue baille 14a therein, said ue extending coaxially through said tank from the bottorn 15' through the top 16 thereof. The tank 13 is encased with a sheet metal drum or casing 17 which projects upwardly above the top -16 of said tank and is spaced yradially outwardly from the tank thereby providing a circumferentally continuous uniform space between said tank and said drum. This space is preferably filled with suitable heat insulating material 9 such as ber glass or the like. The drum `17 is provided with a top closure plate '13 having a circumferentially continuous downwardly directed flange 18a which telescopically ts over the uppermost end of said drum. The closure plate 18 is centrally apertured at 18h, said aperture having an upwardly directed peripheral collar l'c. The tlue 14 projects upwardly through said aperture and extends within said collar. A draft hood 19 is mounted upon the closure plate 18 above the uppermost end of the collar 18C.

The base 11 provides mounting means for a centrally disposed, combustion type burner 29 and a pilot light burner 21 which are respectively connected at the lowermost ends thereof to incoming gas lines 22 and 23. The gas lines 22-23 are connected to a supply source (not shown) whereby gas is directed to the burners 21?--21 Y aliases Patented Nov. 12, 1963 ice through thermostatically controlled valve means 24 which is mounted to the `side of the water heater. The pilot light burner 21 has a thermocouple 26 unitarily mounted therewith which is connected to the valve means 24 by a line 27. Said thermocouple operates in a conventional manner 4to shut off the gas .supply to said pilot burner if it stops burning for any reason. It will be understood that the valve means 24 also operates in a well known manner to normally deliver a continuous ilow of gas to the pilot light burner 21 and to intermittently supply a larger amount of gas to the main burner 20 in response to a reduction in the temperature of the water the tank 13.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the base 11 is formed from a :single piece of relatively heavy gauge sheet metal and comprises a disk 30 'having a circumferentially continuous, upwardly directed peripheral ange 31 and a centrally disposed, circular recessed portion 32. The recess portion 32 is integally connected with the disk 36 by means of a frusta-conical wall 33. As best seen in FIG. `3, the wal-l 33 is provided with a plurality of uniform, oircumferentially evenly spaced, arcuate apertures 34. One ott the apertures 34 is intersected by a slot 35 which extends outwardly to the inner periphery of the disk B. The base 11 is also centrally apertured as indicated at 36 and is provided with a plurality of channelshaped openings 37 in lthe disk portion 30 adjacent the flange 31.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the tank 13 and the drum 17 are supported by the disk 30 of the base 1.1 with said drum closely telescopically interfitting the flange 311. The base 1-1 is in turn supported by the legs 12 which are generally U-shape in section and intert the U-shape openings 37 of said base.

It will also be noted that by means of the legs 12 the recessed portion 3-2 of the base 11 is disposed a substantial distance above the floor 'or surface upon which the water heater .10 is resting. The central aperture 36 of said base provides means for mounting an elongated, combustion type burner such as the main burner indie-ated at 20. The gas line 22 terminates in an elbow 28 having an upwardly projecting threaded portion 28a which projects through the central aperture 35. The main burner 2t) has an internally threaded portion 20a which is thread tted upon the threaded portion 28a of the elbow 28 and fastened down tightly against the upper surface of the recessed portion 32. A lock nut 29 is positioned upon the threaded portion 28a below the recessed portion 32 whereby the burner is secured irmly in place.

The burner 2Q is of conventional design having a shutter 41 adjacent the lower end thereof which adjnstably covers a plurality of orifices 42. The orifices 42 are elongated in shape with the longest dimensions thereof being parallel with the axis of the burner, and the shutter 41 is slidab-ly -telescoped over said burner whereby it is adjustable to cover said orices any desired amount.

The uppermost end or jet 43 of the burner is provided with an upwardly spaced, concentrically located canopy 44 which causes the flame F of the jet 43 to spread or radiate outwardly in a preferably uniform man-ner.

The pilot light burner 21 and the thermocouple 26 are mounted adjacent the jet 43, at the optimum point for igniting said jet, by means of an elongated bracket means 45 which is secured to the lower surface of the disk 30 by any suitable means, `such as a bolt 46 and a wing nut 47, and projects radially inwardly therefrom through the slot 35.

A floor shield Sil is concentrically disposed in upwardly spaced relation to the disk 30 by means of a plurality of angled support members 51 which are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the lower surface of ysaid door shield and which have radially outwardly projecting tabs 52 which extend beneath the lower edge of the supporting member 13a of the tank 13. Said floor shield is circular in form and is spaced radially inwardly from the walls of the supporting member 13a of the Vtank 1'3. Said lloor shield is also provided with a relatively large central aperture 53 through which the upwardly projecting burner 2% extends. The aperture 53 is of such dimension as to allow an' unrestricted ow of air-upwardly around the burner 2t).

The water heater is also provided with suitable access means for lighting the pjilot burner 2 or adjusting the main burner 26, :said access means comprising openings 17a and 13b in the drum 17 and supporting portion 16a fof the tank respectively. The opening 17a has a suitable door or closure member whereby the heating chamber yor area beneath the tank may be closed.

In water heaters of the type herein described and illustrated, it is important that the llame pattern which emanates from the jet 43 around the canopy 44 to be uniform and as nearly concentric in relation to the tank 13 as possible. The vbase of the present invention is so designed as to provide av consitsent and uniform pattern of air ilow up to and around the burner 2.0 which will result in a correspondingly uniform ilame pattern. As Well shown in FIG. 2, air enters upwardly through the uniformly spaced apertures 34 and, as indicated by the arrows, is directed tothe orifices '42 of the burner and also passes upwardly through the aperture 53 of the oor shield 56 as well as upwardly around the outer periphery of said floor shield. It will be noted that the shutter 4-1 and the orifices 42 are located generally within the recess of the base whereas the jet 43 projects substantially above said base and above the floor shield Sil. Ey placing the shutter 41 in the area of the recess, the incoming air ilows in an unrestricted manner directly to the orifices 42 to provide the primary air to be mixed with the incoming gas of the burner. Air which is not used as primary air then passes upwardly above the base into the chamber beneath the tank 13 and provides secondary air at the jet 43. The result of sor directing and inuencing the incoming air produces an optimum uniform and concentric ame pattern which results in highly eiicient heating. The baie 14a, herein shown as an elongated strip of helically twisted sheet metal or the like, serves to retard the exit of iiue gases from the combustion chamber thereby obtaining the maximum efficiency from them. The door shield 56 serves as a bale against a sudden in-rush of air and also refleets heat yfrom the flame F upwardly in the direction of the tank thereby protecting the oor upon which the heat- V heated.

The base and burner arrangement as herein set forth has proved to be substantially more etiicient and economical than conventional devices commonly used. The design of the base is readily adaptable for water heaters having Y didering capacities or diametric dimensions merely by increasing :or decreasing the diameter of the flange 31.

The fact that the base is formed from a single' sheet of Y material effects great savings in labor and materials, and the result is an integral unit of great strength.

It will be understood that many changes in the invention as herein illustrated and described may be made without, however, departing from the spirit thereof o the scope of the appended claim. i

What is claimed is: y

A base for a water heater comprising a disk having a concentric recess therein; said recess having upwardly divergent, -frustoeonical walls; said disk having a circumferentially continuous', upwardly turned ange; a heater casing mounted upon said base and nested within said flange; a centrally apertured floor shield disposed in spaced relation above said disk; said door shield being of such diameter as to be spaced inwardly from said heater casing at its outer periphery; said walls having a plurality of circiunferentially spaced apertures therein for admitting air from below said disk into said recess; a burner mounted within said recess; said burner having an air shutter adjacent to the lower end thereof and a jet adjacent to the upper end thereof; said burner being mounted in said recess with said air shutter disposed generally within said recess and said jet disposed above the level of said floor shield whereby air ente-rs through said apertures and provides primary air for said bruner at said air shutter and passes upwardly through and around said door shield and provides secondary air for said jet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 11,140,911@ Metcalfe May 2.5, 1915 1,346,952 Goreau July 20, 1920 31,806,216 Plummer May 19, 1931 1,911,760 Lonergan May 30, 1933 2,003,579 Conant June 4, 1935 2,126,969 Morrow Aug. 16, 1938 2,200,304 Sands May 14, 1.940 

